As Brothers We Will Stand
by KrimsonKitsu
Summary: Cas is drowning, and Dean is determined to save him. But does he know just what he is saving his angel from. Collab btw Apollo199199 and I. AU after season 6.
1. Prologue

((This is the result of a collab between myself and Apollo199199. Sorry, it is so short, but I promise, it will make far more sense later. I hope you will give it a chance))

xxXxx

His eyes bored into mine. It hurt me to see tangled mess of emotions twist the once clear gaze of my brother. I had to look away—this wasn't the brother I remembered.

"You must promise me this," he murmured urgently, his hand touching mine for just a moment.

It didn't make sense; he had done everything he could to keep me out of the war, so why now? I met his gaze and my worst fears were confirmed. I saw the loss in his eyes. As the facts stood now, we were going to lose.

"Why do you need me to promise such a thing?" I demanded. "Brother, you speak as though you are going to your execution."

"Please. I cannot move forward until I know that they will be safe," his grip tightened on my hand, and a strange vulnerability took hold of his voice.

Looking back, I think it was the first time I have ever heard my brother beg.


	2. Chapter 1: Hurricane

"Tell me would you kill to save a life?  
>Tell me would you kill to prove you're right?<br>Crash, crash, burn let it all burn  
>This hurricane's chasing us all underground."<p>

-"Hurricane" 30 Seconds to Mars

xxXxx

I couldn't come up with a single damned word. The English language completely failed me as I met the foreign gaze of the being who had once been my best friend. He was going to kill me, I was certain of it. Because I knew one thing for sure, I certainly wasn't about to bend down and profess my love to whatever monster stood before us, wearing my angel's skin.

Sam caught my gaze and his frown increased. I could practically hear him, telling me to just bite the bullet so we could live to wage our war. Problem was, I was so freaking tired of fighting the people I cared about. I was tired of being betrayed by the people I thought I could trust, Anna, Sam… and now Cas?

I'd rather take the smiting.

"Well Cas, you might as well snap me into oblivion," I said finally, squaring my shoulders. "Because there is no way I will ever bow to you, you can just forget about it."

Bobby let out a frustrated noise that might have even been a groan. "Dean-"

Cas took a step towards me, his icy blue eyes locked in on mine. I caught the smirk playing at the corners of his lips. I closed my eyes. I wasn't about to watch him kill me, I didn't want that to be my last image.

I was prepared to die.

But I wasn't prepared for the hand that grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back ferociously. I fell backwards, an action that seemed to stretch forever. While this wasn't a common feeling, there was no mistaking it—more angelic interference… fantastic.

The crash was harder than I expected; when Cas or any of the other angel's zapped me anywhere, I usually landed on my feet. But this time, I found myself plowing through a table before coming to a dusty stop on a rough stone floor.

"S-Sam! Bobby?" I choked out, painfully picking my way through the rubble. I squinted into the darkness, trying to pick out their familiar figures. "Sammy? Come on man, tell me you weren't left behind. Bobby!"

"I'm here," came Bobby's dour voice, somewhere to my left. I blinked, wincing as a flashlight pierced the darkness. I had to hand it to the old man, he definitely comes prepared.

"Any sign of Sam?" I asked, finally detangling myself from the splintery wreckage of the table.

"Not yet," Bobby said grimly. "You don't think this is a trap do you? Castiel just trying to mess with our heads?"

"What would be the point?" I asked, almost bitterly. Suddenly the beam of light falls on a figure lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. For one hopeful second, I thought it was Sam.

As I watched, the body seemed to flicker with a light from within, and an unfamiliar groan emanated from its lips. An angel… great, just what we needed. Bobby who was closer, knelt down beside the figure and swore.

"He's a kid, Dean," he said angrily. "They're possessing kids now."

His words barely even registered, because in that moment, I found my brother.

"Sammy!" I called out, rushing to his side. Sam sat up slowly, rubbing his forehead slowly, even in the dim light, I could tell, he wasn't looking good. I touch his shoulder and he looked up at me with a wan smile.

"Don't worry, Dean," he said, letting me help him up. "It's not that bad." I frowned, but decided that it wasn't the best time to call him a shitty liar. Sam looked at the newest angel and sighed. "What should we do with him?"

"Anyone have a stick to poke him with?" My attempt at a joke fell flat and the other two simply grimaced at me. The angel groaned again and sat up slowly.

"I believe it is considered rude to speak about a person in the room as though they were not present," he said, a trace of irritability in his voice. The boy he was possessing couldn't have been more than 16, with a mop of blonde hair topping a set of crisp athletic features. "And I will smite you if you attempt to poke me, no matter what I promised my brother."

I saw Bobby's eyebrows disappear behind the bill of his hat. "Oh, you promised? Promised who? Because the last time I checked, pretty much everything in heaven wants us dead."

"Not Cas," I replied automatically before wincing. "Cas wants us to be his alter boys," I added bitterly.

"Castiel wants you safe, which is why I'm here," the angel replied, flatly. "And every other being in heaven wants you dead, because you keep messing everything up. In fact, if it hadn't been for Castiel, you would be dead already, you should feel lucky."

"Messing everything up… like the apocalypse? Because I'm still waiting on my gift basket on that one," I scoffed. "And that angelic protector of me just told me to either bow or else end up as another blood spatter on the wall. So yeah, can't say I'm feeling all that lucky today."

The angel glared up at me and made a move to get up, or perhaps even to throw a punch, but before he could, a wave of light pulsed through him and he curled inward with a sharp cry. Beside me, Sam tensed and his hands clasped at his head. I heard the tortured moan escape from behind gritted teeth and I grabbed him before he could fall.

"What in the hell are you doing to him?" Bobby demanded, turning to the angel.

"I am the only thing holding the fragments of the wall together," he replied, though his voice sounded kind of breathless. "And if you want to avoid Sam Winchester's brain turning to mush, then you need to stop being so loud."

Sam, who pulled away from me, straightened stiffly, his eyes glued to the angel. "Who are you?"

"My name is Haamiah," he said, finally focusing on the youngest human. "My brother asked me to look after you."

"But why?" Sam asked.

"You know what? That is a damned good question," I added, feeling the rage building in my chest. "Didn't realize Cas still gave a rat's ass about Sam considering he's the one who TORE DOWN THE DAMNED WALL IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Id had enough, if this Haamiah wanted to pretend that Cas still cared about anything then that was fine. But it didn't change the facts.

Haamiah stared up at me with that same melancholic gaze that Cas had worn on so many occasions. "The plan was never to break down your brother's wall and it certainly wasn't for him to be the new God, I don't know when something went wrong with my brother okay...if I did, I would have stopped it before all this mess happened...next thing I knew, Balthazar was dead and Castiel went rogue..." The young angel sighed and his eyes finally slipped away from Dean's, "I should have kept an eye on him, this is all my fault..."

I probably should have said something then, anything to reassure him. No doubt he was older than I could imagine, but that feeling of guilt, of helplessness… I could relate. But I just couldn't say a thing. We were hiding away in some hole, hoping to avoid the detection of the most powerful being we could imagine, a being that up until two weeks ago, I counted as one of my closest friends.

Fuck me.

At that moment, I just had to get out of that damned room and away from that damned angel. Bobby looked up, seeing me heading for the door.

"Dean, we should stay here, we need to plan our next move," he said. I recognized that tone, he was trying to talk me back down to the dark side—the "be reasonable and don't do anything rash" camp.

"No." I said firmly. "No, I just can't. Not right now. Just… no." I shook my head and walked out without another word. The thought of plotting against him after all of these years… I just couldn't bring myself to face that reality yet.

But of course, when do I ever have a say in these things? I rounded the corner and my heart plummeted as I saw that familiar figure. Familiar,but no less frightening.

"Cas…."

((Of course, any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you all so much for your time ^^))


	3. Chapter 2: Running up that Hill

You don't want to hurt me,  
>But see how deep the bullet lies.<br>Unaware I'm tearing you asunder.  
>There is thunder in our hearts.<p>

Is there so much hate for the ones we love?

"Running Up That Hill" Placebo

xxXxx

We were both silent. Cas, in particular, seemed to revel in it; a smile quirked his lips into something completely alien.

"It was a valiant attempt to hide from me," he finally said, taking a step toward me. "But futile. You can't hide from me, Dean. Not from your new God."

"So I noticed," I replied, trying not let my fear show through. "So what now? Are you about to level some divine judgment on me?"

"I am not cruel, Dean," Cas said. "I will give you a chance, as you deserve. Pledge your loyalty Dean, pledge your devotion to me. Do that and I can fix Sam. I can make everything all better."

"Better?" I choke out, hating how pathetic my voice sounded. "How is this better, Cas?" I wanted to take a step forward, or else to run as far away as possible. And yet, I couldn't do either.

"Do you not understand Dean?" Cas replied calmly, "The old God may not have cared, but I will not abandon the world. I shall destroy the evils of the world and bring peace. All I ask is your allegiance Dean. Stand by me, and I can fix Sam, and none of you will ever have to worry about being harmed again. You can live your life in safety with everything that you want."

I fell silent again, because honestly, I knew what I had to say… and I knew that Cas would not take it well. And of course, by not take it well, I meant that he would probably murder me where I stood. But I had to say it.

"No, Cas," I said softly. "No, because you aren't God. Cas, please… you have to get rid of those souls. They're going to twist you nine ways from Sunday until you can't remember what your original goal was."

The smirk was wiped from Castiel's face in an instant, replaced by a foreboding scowl. "I suppose it is beyond human comprehension, what I am offering you—" Castiel stopped suddenly and his body seemed to pulse. I caught the look of confusion on his face as he took a stumbling step backward.

"Cas!" I grabbed his arm without thinking. "Cas, what's wrong?"

Cas looked up at me, his eyes burning with a combination of emotions that I couldn't even begin to place. But he was in pain, I could feel it.

"What… have you done to me?" He gritted out, pulling away from my hand. He pressed up against the wall like a cornered cat, rather than the god he claimed to be.

"I'm human, remember," I replied, trying to keep my voice calm. "How could I do anything to you? We have nothing to hurt you with. It's those souls, Cas. Please, get rid of them."

"No." Cas said with a glare. "They belong with me, Dean. My days of following you blindly are over. I am through with your mocking. I am not your errand-boy or a tool for your convenience."

I flinched at his words. "Cas… I would have died with you, for you." It wasn't a lie. But I spoke those words with a resigned tone—I knew, even as the words came out of my mouth, that he wouldn't hear them. "You were never a tool to me."

Cas finally straightened. Gone was the confusion, the vulnerability. In their place stood an anger so harsh that it almost felt tangible. His eyes burned into mine as he stepped towards me, each step resounding like a gavel proclaiming a death-sentence.

"Do not lie Dean Winchester, I was never your family and you were never mine, not then and not now. I was just the angel perched on your shoulder, the one to bail you out of trouble," His voice was low and I felt a shiver run down my spine at the look in his eyes.

" There is no trust Dean. I was weak before to think there was, I was weak to your human emotions and vulnerabilities. I see the truth now, I am not your brother, I am not your family, I am not even human, and I will never have the same trust that you will give them. And you will never die for me. But I thank you for showing me that very clearly. I am God now, I do not need you!" His expression twisted once again and that smirk was back… that smirk terrified me.

"So then what-?" I started but he turned away, clearly uninterested in anything I had to say.

"But do not be afraid, for I am a merciful God, a better God," he said, each word slow and deliberate. "Now I will ask you one more time. Pledge your allegiance to me and I will leave you all here unharmed and fix Sam. OR ELSE, Sam, Bobby Singer, and even my little brother and his human vessel WILL suffer for your defiance. I will not wait forever, Dean. My patience is running thin, even for you."

Every muscle in my body rebelled against me, screaming to run somewhere, anywhere. "What exactly," I stopped, swallowing the bile that rose in my throat. "What exactly would I have to do… if I pledged my allegiance to you?"

Castiel cocked his head to the side, "Is it really that hard to understand Dean? I want your love and your loyalty, and I want you to stay out of my way and not fight against me. Surely even this cannot escape your understanding."

I was frozen, stuck between two unthinkable options. Cas frowned, clearly growing impatient. "Decide, Dean...I will not wait forever..."

I felt my chest tighten. I want to say no, I want to tell him that I would rather die than bow to monstrosity that he had become. But Sam… the kid had already been through so much because of me. I couldn't let him hurt Sam any more than he had. There was nothing else I could say, so I said the only thing I could.

"Cas… you've always had my loyalty…" The words felt like lead in my mouth.

That frustratingly cold smirk widened and Cas snapped his fingers. I felt my hair stand on end as some unseen power swept through the rooms.

"The barrier has been returned, Sam should be as good as new," Castiel said. "But do remember this, Dean, go against me in anyway, and I will tear that wall down. Not even Haamiah will be able to hold back the memories."

I felt as though I was slowly being deflated. "Cas…" I murmured, my shoulders slumping in defeat. "If the old you is buried in there somewhere… then I'm sorry…."

Cas, who had been examining the engravings of the fireplace, looked up, derision clear in his eyes. "Sorry? Isn't that a little too late Dean?" He smiled warmly but his eyes were still so bitter. "I was weak before to let you get to me, to believe that if I cared, then I would have that same care in return. But I see the truth now. Don't say you're sorry, Dean, that's a lie and we both know it. I am not weak anymore. Your sorry means little to me."

"Weak?" I repeat, my throat tightening. "Having friends is not weak… I thought that we taught you that at least. All of those times with you, and Sam, and Bobby…"

"I was weak," Cas repeated, his sneer securely in place, I had lost him. "I let your human emotions pushed me into a breaking point; trying to please you, trying to please my followers, trying to please a long-gone God." For a moment, his shoulders slumped and I caught a glimpse of the old Cas.

Of course, it didn't last long. In fact, I wondered if it happened as it happened at all.

"I have to thank you, Dean," he continued as if he hadn't paused at all, "because your abandonment taught me something very important; it taught me that I can be better, I am stronger, and it led me here." His back seemed to straighten, and his presence seemed to fill the room. "You can forget the Castiel that you used to know Dean; that's over now."

"Cas-" I had to stop him, I had to try something.

Cas stopped me with a cold chuckle. "Good bye, Dean," he said icily. "You should heed my warning."

He vanished, leaving me alone with just my thoughts for company. And for the first time, I didn't know what frightened me more—the thought that I wouldn't ever see him again…

…Or the thought that I would.

((Man this chapter was rough… I hope you all like. I have an odd love/hate thing about God!Cas. I mean I hate that it happened and I miss the little melancholic angel who guarded Dean and drank entire liquor stores for kicks… but God!Cas reminds me of a time when Cas was something to be feared and respected. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased to feel that delicious tingle of trepidation at the sight of him once more. But in any case… today's inspiration was "Running up that hill" by Placebo. It's actually a cover, and one I particularly love.)) 

((Also…To my lovely readers. I really treasure every bit of feedback you provide. You seriously brighten my day. Thanks also to Apollo, who helped me hash out this whole thing. MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL!))


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